MUSCLE GAIN OR FAT LOSS

What is Muscle Building?

Muscle Building is quite simple in its definition, i.e. you gain weight in terms of lean muscle mass. To do this, not only does one have to train correctly but also consume the right foods and supplements. Building anything requires an excess of materials and in this case you need calories. Some need a little, some need few; depending on their genetics but one thing that is certian is you need to be above maintenance. So if my maintenance calories are 2000, then I will gain weight at 2500 calories. Whether that is fat or muscle, depends on your protein intake and training frequency. 

To build muscle ensure that you are in a caloric surplus and working out at least 4-5 days a week. In addition to this ensure that your body, as a general rule of thumb, is getting 1gram per pound of lean body mass as protein. Opt for leaner cuts of meat like chicken breast and turkey and do not forget to supplement with whey protein and glutamine, if needed.

What is Fat Loss?

Fat loss is the other side of the coin whereby you are trying to preserve your lean body mass and reducing weight, ideally in terms of bodyfat. To think you will only lose bodyfat is a far fetched idea and some muscle loss will also occur. This can however be reduced by supplementing with BCAA's and keeping your protein higher still. For fat loss it is optimal to aim to lose 0.5 kg per week and again that would differ, based on your maintenance calories, for individuals. 

Fat isn't predisposed in one area, so do not even think that you can only reduce fat from a particular body part. For some it might start at belly fat and for others it will be last to go off. Optimal fat loss occurs with the right amount of weight training and cardio but use this to only increase your caloric deficit, not create it. A fat burner can also help here same as a multivitamin because you would not be getting them from your diet. 

Choosing a goal: Muscle gain or Fat loss

Many people are having hard time determining their primary fitness goal. Whether to lose extra fat and have a lean body or better to start gaining muscle and add several kilograms to your weight. It may seem as an easy decision to make, however, a lot of my clients and people I know are finding it hard to determine their goal. Very often this is a result of the lack of knowledge, which prevents the person from making an educated decision about his fitness ambitions simply because of confusion and vague ideas about how muscle gain and fat loss actually occur. Most of the time people say that they want to gain muscle mass and lose fat at the same time. While this is the ultimate goal of the majority of people, it cannot occur at the same time, simply because the two processes require either a caloric deficit or a caloric surplus. You are either eating less or eating more, there is no conformity between the two phases. When you are trying to decide what will be your future goal, keep in mind the following points. If the body fat percentage is more than 20%, then fat loss is definitely the preferred option, since with such high percentage of BF the probability of getting even fatter is imminent because of the decreased insulin sensitivity.  Another indicator of why fat loss might be a preferred option is the presence of chronic diseases or the over consumption of sugary products. In such situations fat loss diets are recommended in order to balance the endocrine levels in the body and improve overall health. I also recommend fat loss as a primary goal for people over the age of 40. Let’s not forget that fat loss is also the best option for bodybuilders who are preparing for a fitness competition and need to get in top condition. When we are talking about young people under the age of 20, then muscle gain is the recommended goal, since most of the adolescents need to gain muscle mass. On top of this their metabolism is very active and the caloric surplus is easily digested and utilized compared to someone who is older, where the situation is different. People who have below 10% body fat may also benefit from a muscle gain diet plan, since their carbohydrate utilization capacity is very high and is much easier to gain clean muscle mass with little caloric surplus. Another group of people who may benefit from a muscle gain phase are those who want to gain muscle mass in the off season in order to be able to compete at a competition afterwards. I always advise people who have less than an year of experience to start with muscle gain in order to build some muscle mass. The more muscle you have – the more calories the body burns at rest. Thus the more muscle mass you have – the easier it is to lose fat. If you are still unable to determine your goal, then the best thing to do is to send me a photo and I will determine for you which way to go.